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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- Gov. Shapiro

-- Spotlight PA: Josh Shapiro Built National Fame On Getting Things Done, But His Full Record Is Complex  [Oil & Gas Issues Mentioned]

-- Capital & Main - Audrey Carleton: Gov. Shapiro Walks A Fine Line On Climate; His Opponent Just Wants To Drill For Shale Gas

-- Inquirer: Gov. Shapiro Plans To Take More Executive Action To Better Regulate A.I. Data Centers In Coming Weeks Since Senate Republicans Failed To Act

-- WESA: Shapiro Joins Lawsuit That Says President Uses Homeland Security Disaster Funds To ‘Coerce’ State Election Changes

-- AP: PA, 23 Other States Sues President After It Put Conditions On Receiving Disaster Funding To Coerce States Into Making Election Changes

-- Race For Governor

-- TribLive: Shapiro Campaign Raised Over $50 Million Since Jan. 2025

-- Spotlight PA: Josh Shapiro Built National Fame On Getting Things Done, But His Full Record Is Complex 

-- Capital & Main - Audrey Carleton: Gov. Shapiro Walks A Fine Line On Climate; His Opponent Just Wants To Drill For Shale Gas

-- Budget 2026

-- Spotlight PA: PA Lawmakers Leave $2 Billion A.I. Data Center Sales Tax Exemption Untouched In PA Budget

-- Inquirer: Gov. Shapiro Plans To Take More Executive Action To Better Regulate A.I. Data Centers In Coming Weeks Since Senate Republicans Failed To Act

-- WITF: Tucked In PA State Budget Bill, A Win For Pharmacies Looking For Pharmacy Benefit Manager Regulation

-- PA House/Senate

-- TribLive: Under Deadline Pressure, PA House Passes Bill To Reform Felony Murder Sentencing Statute

-- PA Capital-Star: What Happens When Senate/House Miss Court Deadline On Addressing Illegal Felony Murder Convictions?

-- The Center Square: Allegheny County DA Asks PA Supreme Court For More Time To Fix Unconstitutional Felony Murder Law

-- TribLive: Former State Senator, Congressman Tim Murphy Dies At 73 

-- US House/Senate

-- Post-Gazette: Fetterman’s Small-Dollar Donor Base Dries Up In Another Sign Of His Struggles With Democrats

-- Inquirer: PA Republicans Aren’t Pushing Back Against President’s New Unsupported Election Fraud Claims As They Lobby For SAVE America Act

-- TribLive/PennLive: Former Republican PA Gov. Tom Corbett Co-Authors Column Criticizing Fellow Republicans’ SAVE Voting Act

-- 2026 Elections

-- PennLive: PA Democrats Create Momentum In PA Voter Registration Ahead Of 2026 Midterms

-- Elections

-- TribLive: PA Ranks Last In New Study Of 18-Year-Olds’ Voter Registration Rates

-- LancasterOnline: Republican State Senate Candidate Still Fighting Over 2022 Primary Election Loss In Court 

-- Inquirer: PA Republicans Aren’t Pushing Back Against President’s New Unsupported Election Fraud Claims As They Lobby For SAVE America Act

-- TribLive/PennLive: Former Republican PA Gov. Tom Corbett Co-Authors Column Criticizing Fellow Republicans’ SAVE Voting Act

-- WESA: Shapiro Joins Lawsuit That Says President Uses Homeland Security Disaster Funds To ‘Coerce’ State Election Changes

-- AP: PA, 23 Other States Sues President After It Put Conditions On Receiving Disaster Funding To Coerce States Into Making Election Changes

-- President’s War On Iran

-- July 26: PA Average AAA Gasoline Price Unchanged From Yesterday To $4.23/Gallon - $1.12/Gallon Higher Than On Feb. 27 [Pike County Average Price Highest at $4.34] 

-- July 26: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $4.11  Ohio- $3.90  PA- $4.23

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

-- PA Impacts Of President’s Tariffs/Trade

-- TribLive/AP: President Imposes Double-Digit Tariffs On Dozens Of Countries Alleging Forced Labor Violations As His 10% Tariffs Set To Expire [To Tax American Consumers]

-- Post-Gazette/AP: Small Businesses File Lawsuits Against President’s New Sweeping Double-Digit Tariffs On 60 Trading Partners To Replace Tariffs Declared Illegal In Feb. 

-- PA Impacts Of President’s Policies

-- TribLive: PA Health Insurance Companies Seek Average 17.1% Premium Increase For 2027 On Top Of Spike In Prices This Year Due To Failure Of Congress To Take Action

-- Post-Gazette: The Viral Online Attack On Pittsburgh Doctors That Sparked A National Debate Over Vaccines; Local Medical Experts Launch Effort To Halt Vaccine Decline 

-- TribLive: Millions Sign Up For President’s $1,000 Baby Accounts, Families Still Waiting For Payments

-- Republican Herald: Lawyer For Haitian Truck Driver In Crash That Killed PA State Trooper Says DHS Documents Show Driver Was Here Legally 

-- Republican Herald Editorial: Federal ICE Shootings In Texas, Maine Nod To A Culture Of Recklessness

-- A.I. /Data Centers

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - July 27  [PaEN] 

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: A.I. Data Center-Driven Electricity Demand In PA, Surrounding States Outstripping Supply, Keeping Prices High

-- WHYY - Susan Phillips: As Utility Rates Continue To Rise In PA, Coalition Is Pushing For Renewables To Rein In Costs

-- Utility Dive: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Fails To Shield PJM Consumers From Data Center Power Transmission Costs Says PA Consumer Advocate, 4 Other State Ratepayer Advocates 

-- Utility Dive: PJM Market Monitor: Data Centers Drove $6.3 Billion In July PJM Generation Capacity Auction Costs; Over Last 4 Auctions - $29.4 Billion In Costs

-- PA Coalition Launches Building A Brighter PA To Lower Energy Bills, Build A Clean-Energy Economy Over The Next 4 Years  [PaEN]

-- Inquirer: Gov. Shapiro Plans To Take More Executive Action To Better Regulate A.I. Data Centers In Coming Weeks Since Senate Republicans Failed To Act

-- The Allegheny Front: Where Pennsylvania Stands With Regulating 80 A.I. Data Center Proposals

-- Spotlight PA: PA Lawmakers Leave $2 Billion A.I. Data Center Sales Tax Exemption Untouched In PA Budget

-- President Expands Ratepayer Protection ‘Pledge’ For A.I. Data Centers To Pay Full Cost Of Energy, Supporting Infrastructure  [PJM Ratepayers Already Paying $29.4 Billion In Added Electricity Costs]  [PaEN] 

-- PennLive: PPL Signs Pledge To Protect Consumers From Higher Electric Bills Due To A.I. Data Center Demand Saying It Already Follows Principles [PPL Ratepayers Now Paying For Grid Upgrades For Data Centers, Much Higher Power Bills Due To Spiking Demand]

-- The Center Square: PPL Electric Condemnation Of Land For Transmission Lines Needed To Feed A.I. Data Centers Triggers Stress, Anxiety In Luzerne County 

-- Utility Dive: Natural Gas Power Generation Decreased 4% In 2025; Coal-Fired Power Plant Generation Increased 13%; Wind & Solar Generation Increased 3% and 34% 

-- Utility Dive: GE Vernova Natural Gas Power Turbine Backlog Now 116 GW And Growing; Ordering Now For 2031

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Pittsburgh-based Exus Renewables Secures $356 Million For 2 Wind Projects In Cambria County As Demand From Data Centers Accelerates

-- Tribune-Democrat: Exus Renewables Closes On Wind Energy Facility Financing For Cambria County Project

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Mainspring Linear Generator Secures State Funding For 600-Job Plant Near Pittsburgh

-- International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs-- 17-- Same For Last 11 Weeks

-- Financial Times: Oil Hits $100 For First Time Since May

-- Inquirer: President-Promoted ‘Freedom Fuel’ Gas Stations Raise Prices To Market Levels

-- WHYY/AP: The Men Behind President’s ‘Freedom Fuel’ Gas Stations In SE PA: NFL Coach, Republican Fundraiser, 2 NJ Brothers Convicted Of Taking 200,000 Gallons Of Fuel

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - July 27  [PaEN] 

-- Utility Dive: Natural Gas Power Generation Decreased 4% In 2025; Coal-Fired Power Plant Generation Increased 13%; Wind & Solar Generation Increased 3% and 34% 

-- Utility Dive: GE Vernova Natural Gas Power Turbine Backlog Now 116 GW And Growing; Ordering Now For 2031

-- Bloomberg: Constitutional Natural Gas Pipeline Backed By President To New York Struggles For Customers

-- Bloomberg: Europe Faces Winter Gas Reckoning As Global Fight For LNG Natural Gas Brews, Prices Soar 

-- Flooding

-- TribLive: Why Western PA’s Rainfall Is Getting More Intense And Overwhelming Infrastructure: Climate Change is Driving Heavier, Localized Downpours 

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader Guest Essay: Who We Become - After The Flood Water Recedes - By Brittany Stephenson, Luzerne County Councilmember

-- PennLive:  PA’s 2026 Tornado Count Is Already Twice Its Yearly Average, What’s Happening?  

-- Storms/Power Outages

-- PennLive:  PA’s 2026 Tornado Count Is Already Twice Its Yearly Average, What’s Happening? 

-- TribLive: Why Western PA’s Rainfall Is Getting More Intense And Overwhelming Infrastructure: Climate Change is Driving Heavier, Localized Downpours 

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader Guest Essay: Who We Become - After The Flood Water Recedes - By Brittany Stephenson, Luzerne County Councilmember

-- WESA: Shapiro Joins Lawsuit That Says President Uses Homeland Security Disaster Funds To ‘Coerce’ State Election Changes

-- AP: PA, 23 Other States Sues President After It Put Conditions On Receiving Disaster Funding To Coerce States Into Making Election Changes

-- Education

-- WPSU: Penn State Trustees Approve $210,000 Retention Bonus For President; 2.5% Increase In Tuition

-- TribLive: Millions Sign Up For President’s $1,000 Baby Accounts, Families Still Waiting For Payments

-- Health Care

-- WITF: Tucked In PA State Budget Bill, A Win For Pharmacies Looking For Pharmacy Benefit Manager Regulation

-- TribLive: PA Health Insurance Companies Seek Average 17.1% Premium Increase For 2027 On Top Of Spike In Prices This Year Due To Failure Of Congress To Take Action

-- Post-Gazette: The Viral Online Attack On Pittsburgh Doctors That Sparked A National Debate Over Vaccines; Local Medical Experts Launch Effort To Halt Vaccine Decline 

-- Law Enforcement

-- TribLive: Under Deadline Pressure, PA House Passes Bill To Reform Felony Murder Sentencing Statute

-- PA Capital-Star: What Happens When Senate/House Miss Court Deadline On Addressing Illegal Felony Murder Convictions?

-- The Center Square: Allegheny County DA Asks PA Supreme Court For More Time To Fix Unconstitutional Felony Murder Law

-- Republican Herald: Lawyer For Haitian Truck Driver In Crash That Killed PA State Trooper Says DHS Documents Show Driver Was Here Legally 

-- Republican Herald Editorial: Federal ICE Shootings In Texas, Maine Nod To A Culture Of Recklessness

[Posted: July 27, 2026]