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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- Gov. Shapiro

-- WITF: Shapiro, PA Democrats Launch ‘Rise Up’ Campaign Ahead Of 2026 Midterm Elections

-- PennLive: Shapiro Aims To Help Democrats Win Across The State: ‘He Knows How To Flip Seats’

-- Gov. Shapiro's Legal Action To Impose Price Cap On PJM Interconnection Generation Capacity Auctions  Results In Saving Consumers $13.3 Billion In Latest Power Auction  [PaEN]

-- Race For Governor

-- The Center Square: Quinnipiac University Poll Has Shapiro Leading Garrity 53% to 40%

-- Inquirer: Josh Shapiro Has Fundraised $50 Million Since The Beginning Of Last Year, His Campaign Says

-- Budget 2026

-- Inquirer Editorial: PA Lawmakers Passed A Budget And Ducked Every Hard Question  

-- The Center Square: PA Leaders Delay $1.3 Billion In Payments To Medical Care Organizations Help Create Balanced State Budget Illusion

-- Spotlight PA: The Accounting Tricks That Balanced PA’s State Budget - But Only On Paper 

-- PennLive: Independent Fiscal Office: PA Still Faces Underlying $5  Billion Deficit, Despite Budget Reprieve

-- PennLive: Here’s What’s In And Not In $50.8 Billion State Budget

-- The Center Square: ‘Fiscally Responsible’ Budget Pushes Billions ‘Off The Books’ Says Republican Rep. Diamond

-- LancasterOnline Editorial: New PA State Budget Fails To Remedy Long-Standing Problems

-- TribLive Editorial: How Would You Score Pennsylvania On State Budget?

-- PA House/Senate

-- PennLive: Legislature Spends $60 Million Of Taxpayer Money On Its Own Operation, Tracking The Money Is Difficult 

-- PennLive Editorial: It’s Time For PA Voters To Demand Accountability From Their Free-Spending Lawmakers

-- PennLive: ‘Screw You Taxpayers:’ Judge Says PA Legislature Ignored Money-Saving Reforms

-- PennLive: PA Legislature Awards Millions In No-Bid Contracts With Vague Receipts

-- PennLive: PA Taxpayers Paid $34 Million For Each Of 4 House, Senate Caucuses To Operate Their Own Computer Systems

-- PennLive: Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia) Spent Almost $80,000 On Lunches For Staff, Other Lawmakers In Two And A Half Years

-- PennLive: State Sen. Mastriano Grilled About President’s Election Subversion, Partisanship At US Senate Confirmation Hearing As US Ambassador To Slovak Republic

-- US House/Senate

-- Post-Gazette: Fetterman Warns Democrats He’d Leave The Party If It Turns Its Back On Israel, Most Democrats Are Fine With That

-- TribLive: Quinnipiac University Poll: Majority Of PA Democrats Want Fetterman Out Of The Party

-- PennLive: Challenger Stelson Gains Fundraising Momentum, Easily Outpaces PA Republican Con. Scott Perry In Latest Quarter

-- 2026 Elections

-- WITF: Shapiro, PA Democrats Launch ‘Rise Up’ Campaign Ahead Of 2026 Midterm Elections

-- PennLive: Shapiro Aims To Help Democrats Win Across The State: ‘He Knows How To Flip Seats’

-- TribLive: Candidates For 60th House District In Western PA Look To Affordability Issues In Harrisburg [Armstrong, Westmoreland] 

-- Elections

-- WITF/Votebeat: PA Elections Chief Responds To President’s Administration’s Threat Of Criminal Charges Over Noncitizen Voters

-- PennLive: PA Replies To President’s Dept. Of Justice Letter Threatening Criminal Charges For Violating Federal Voting Regulations

-- Republican Herald Editorial: Congressional Republican SAVE America Act Is The Real Threat To Elections

-- PA Capital-Star: President’s Dept. Of Homeland Security Warns Of Possible Prosecution For Election Officials In PA Over Voter Roll Access

-- PennLive: Shapiro Vows To Protect Voters’ Rights, Derides ‘Unhinged’ President And His ‘Conspiracy Theories’

-- Erie Times/USA Today: Shapiro On President’s Election Claims: ‘If You’ve Got Information, Share It With Us’

-- TribLive/AP: President’s Claims Of Election Interference Not Justified By Documents Released By White House

-- Post-Gazette: President Pushes Election Fraud, Interference Again Based On Debunked Claims

-- President’s War On Iran

-- July 19: PA Average AAA Gasoline Prices Up 21 Cents Since Last Sunday To $4.18/Gallon - $1.07/Gallon Higher Than On Feb. 27 [Warren County Average Price Highest at $4.36] 

-- July 19: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $3.99  Ohio- $3.88  PA- $4.18

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

-- New Federal Administration

-- PennLive: State Sen. Mastriano Grilled About President’s Election Subversion, Partisanship At US Senate Confirmation Hearing As US Ambassador To Slovak Republic

-- A.I. /Data Centers

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - July 20  [PaEN]

-- Quinnipiac University Poll Finds 74% Of PA Voters Would Oppose Building An A.I. Data Center In Their Community; 76% Are Following Data Center News Closely  [PaEN] 

-- PJM Data Center-Driven Power Auction Prices Limited By $325/MW-Day Cap; Without Cap Would Have Been 70% Higher In PA, Most Areas; Missed Reliability Target By 6,831 MW  [PaEN] 

-- Gov. Shapiro's Legal Action To Impose Price Cap On PJM Interconnection Generation Capacity Auctions  Results In Saving Consumers $13.3 Billion In Latest Power Auction  [PaEN] 

-- PJM Issues Hot Weather Alert For July 14 - 17; PJM Confirmed It Reached New All-Time Peak Load Demand 2,595 MW Over Previous Record [PaEN] 

-- PJM Extends Maximum Generation Alert To July 16; Hot Weather Alert To Continue Thru At Least July 17  [PaEN]

-- PA Environmental Council: New State Budget Leaves A.I. Data Centers Unresolved, Big Win For Advanced Transmission Line Tech, Modest Progress On Other Energy Issues  [PaEN]

-- More Reactions: Final State Budget Fails To Take On Growing Concerns About Energy Affordability And Keeping The Lights On  [PaEN] 

-- Courier Times: Amazon Proposed To Install 286 Backup Generators At Falls Twp. A.I. Data Center

-- WNEP: Farmers In Union, Lycoming Counties Share Concerns About Proposed PPL Transmission Line Project That Would Help Power Proposed A.I. Data Center

-- Scranton Times: NY Developer With Russian Ties Eyes Archbald For A 7th A.I. Data Center Proposal 

-- WVIA: Clinton Twp. Supervisor Resigns As Residents Question  Ties To A.I. Data Center Developer In Wayne County

-- DEP Issues Corrected Chapter 105 Permit For Wetlands Impacts At The Homer City Generation Data Center Project In Indiana County  [PaEN]

-- TribLive: Resilient Energy Technology And Infrastructure Consortium Led By Pitt, CMU And WVU Funded With $321 Million Science Foundation Grant 

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Desri Energy Developing 1 GW Energy Storage Facility On Site Of Former Little Blue Run Coal Waste Disposal Area In Beaver County

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Eos Energy Storage Company Tapped To Power Golden Dome Missile Defense System 

-- PA US Sen. McCormick Announces Nearly $10 Billion In Defense Investments: Eos Energy Storage, Firepoint Energy Coal Waste Recovery Project

-- The Allegheny Front: Lawmaker Introduces Bill To Authorize Balcony Solar To Offset Electricity Bills

-- Reuters: Solar Energy Construction Costs Jump 18% But Remains Cheapest Generation To Build [No Fuel Costs]

-- Bloomberg: US Cost For Natural Gas Power At 17-Year High And Climbing 

-- AP: New York Won’t Build A.I. Data Centers For A Year As It Weighs Energy And Climate Risks 

-- International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

-- July 19: PA Average AAA Gasoline Prices Up 21 Cents Since Last Sunday To $4.18/Gallon - $1.07/Gallon Higher Than On Feb. 27 [Warren County Average Price Highest at $4.36] 

-- July 19: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $3.99  Ohio- $3.88  PA- $4.18

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

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs - 17 - Same For Last 10 Weeks

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - July 20  [PaEN]

-- Reuters: Solar Energy Construction Costs Jump 18% But Remains Cheapest Generation To Build [No Fuel Costs]

-- Bloomberg: US Cost For Natural Gas Power At 17-Year High And Climbing 

-- Bloomberg: First US LNG Natural Gas Cargo In A Year Docks In Yangpu Port To Power Chinese Economy

-- WESA/NPR: Oil Companies Are Making Billions, Calls To Tax Their Windfall Profits Are Growing

-- Flooding

-- PA Emergency Management Agency To Open Multi-Agency Resource Centers In Philadelphia To Aid Victims Of Severe Storms On July 18, 19, 20 At Three Locations

-- Inquirer: PEMA Opening Resource Centers In Philadelphia After Microburst Storms Result In More Than 1,000 Damage Reports

-- Education

-- TribLive: Penn State Hikes Tuition For 2027-28 School Year

-- WESA: PA State-Owned Universities To Cover All Tuition For In-State Students Who Receive Federal, State Education Grants Starting In 2027

-- Law Enforcement

-- The Center Square: ‘Hundreds’ Of Unconstitutionally Convicted Murderers Could Ask For Release Starting July 24 Due To PA Senate, House Failure To Act

-- PennLive: PA Lawmakers Break Without Taking Up Unconstitutional Murder Sentences Leaving 1,000 Individuals Serving Life In Prison In Limbo

-- TribLive Editorial: State Lawmakers Have No Defense In Missing Deadline To Address Unconstitutional Felony Murder Convictions

[Posted: July 19, 2026]