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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Remembering Former PA Gov. Tom Ridge’s Quiet Heroism, 25 Years After 9/11 - By John E. Jones III, President Of Dickinson College

-- Erie Times/USAToday: Former PA Gov. Mark Schweiker Reflects On Flight 93 And Pennsylvania’s Grief

-- Gov. Shapiro

-- PennLive/Inquirer: COVID-era Fury Follows Gov. Shapiro’s Response To Measles Outbreak

-- WESA/WHYY: Gov. Shapiro Signs Legislation Passed By House, Senate Guaranteeing 30 Minutes Of Recess A Day For K-5 Students That Was Part Of Budget Deal

-- PA House/Senate

-- Spotlight PA: Individuals Illegally Sentenced For 2nd Degree Murder Ask PA Supreme Court To Open Pathway For Resentencing After Lawmakers Fail To Act 

-- PennLive: PA State Police Will Begin Seizing ‘Skill’ Gambling Machines On Oct. 14 Due To Failure Of General Assembly To Pass Legislation

-- LancasterOnline: PA Republican Lawmakers Say Proposed Dept. Of Health Infectious Disease Outbreak Regulations Pose Privacy Concerns

-- US House/Senate

-- KYW: PA Republican Congressman Rob Bresnahan Campaigns On A.I. Data Center Limits While Investing In Industry

-- The Center Square: PA US Sen. McCormick Touts President’s Agenda During Midterm Convention Speech

-- AP: PA US Sen. Fetterman’s Isolation From Democrats Grows Stark In Pennsylvania

-- Inquirer Editorial: Fetterman’s Shiftlessness Is An Insult To His Office And All Pennsylvanians

-- PennLive: PA Democratic US Sen. Fetterman Praises Republican US Sen. McCormick Via Video At Republican Midterm Convention

-- KDKA: PA Democratic Congressman Deluzio Says He’s Thinking About Running Against Fetterman In 2028 Primary

-- TribLive/Inquirer: Fetterman Called Wall Street Journal Story ‘A Hit Piece’ And Apologized For Text Message Dismissing Children's Hospital Of Philadelphia Leaders

-- Post-Gazette: Partisan Brawl Over Federal Farm Bill In Washington Leaves Farmers Facing Deep Uncertainty

-- TribLive/CQ Roll Call: Higher Social Security Payroll Taxes No Longer Taboo For Republicans

-- 2026 Elections

-- WHYY: PA Election Chief Says Voting Will Continue As Usual Despite President’s Efforts To Limit Mail-In Ballots 

-- WITF: PA’s Top Election Official Challenges President’s Claims, Efforts To Alter Elections 

-- The Center Square: PA US Sen. McCormick Touts President’s Agenda During Midterm Convention Speech

-- AP: President Wants Voters To Pretend He’s On The Ballot; Republican Party Is Going Along For The Ride [PA Included]

-- Elections

-- AP - Marc Levy: 2026 Elections Could Test How Heavy Trading On Prediction Markets Affects Races And Results 

-- TribLive: Allegheny County Council Proposes Bill Regulating A.I. Use In Political Campaign Materials

-- National Elections

-- AP: President Wants Voters To Pretend He’s On The Ballot; Republican Party Is Going Along For The Ride [PA Included]

-- AP: Republicans Gather In Dallas For 2-Day Midterm Convention That Will Put President At The Center Of This Fall’s Campaign 

-- President’s War On Iran

-- September 12: PA Average AAA Gasoline Price Jumps 19 Cents Since Monday To $4.49/Gallon - $1.38/Gallon Higher Than On Feb. 27 [Mifflin County Highest Average Price at $4.59] 

-- September 12: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $4.31  Ohio- $4.17  PA- $4.49

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

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs-- 15 -- Same As Last Week [Down 3 From Last Year]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: PA Natural Gas Production Drops For 2nd Straight Quarter

-- Bloomberg: Oil, Natural Gas, Diesel Prices Signal Winter Crisis And Rising Interest Rates 

-- PA Impacts Of President’s Tariffs/Trade

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Western PA Could Face Big Hit As Canada Retaliates Against President’s Tariffs 

-- New York Times: Canada Imposes New Tariffs On US In Response To President’s Tariffs As Trade War Intensifies  [PA exports to Canada support 66,800 jobs in PA, $16.1 billion in exports]

-- Wall Street Journal Editorial: President Has A $5,000 Bridge To Sell You; Repealing His Tariffs Would Provide An Economic Dividend Without Spending A Dime

-- Federal Funding Loss

-- Post-Gazette: Partisan Brawl Over Federal Farm Bill In Washington Leaves Farmers Facing Deep Uncertainty

-- Reversing Course

-- PennLive: Lawsuit Settlement Restores AmeriCorps Job Experience Program Eliminated By President’s Administration, Shapiro Says 

-- PA Impacts Of President’s Policies

-- Spotlight PA: Health Insurance Rates Poised To Rise 10% to 40% Again As PA Regulators Claim Limited Power To Control Increases

-- WITF: Preventable Disease Measles Cases Triple In PA Since July, Low Vaccination Rates Fuel Outbreak

-- PennLive: Clearfield County Commissioners Vote Sept. 22 On Whether To Extend Contract With Federal ICE For Immigrant Detention 

-- WVIA: Immigrant Advocates Say Federal ICE Arrested Dozens At Geisinger Medical Center Construction Site In Danville

-- York Daily Record: ‘It’s Insane:’ Beloved York Soccer Coach Faces Deportation To Haiti After Traffic Stop For Burned Out Brake Light By West York Police With Federal ICE Agreement 

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Another Legal Immigrant Jailed 11 Days For Traffic Violation As A Result Of Mt. Holly Springs Boro Police Agreement With Federal ICE - By Katie Daniels and Mandy Taylor, Mt. Holly Springs Residents in Cumberland County 

-- Scranton Times/PennLive: Mass Federal ICE Raids At Geisinger Health Site Near Danville Leave Workers ‘Terrified,’ Witness Says

-- TribLive: Beechview Residents Describe Heightened Federal ICE Activity: ‘They’re Terrorizing The Whole Neighborhood’ In Pittsburgh  

-- Spotlight PA: Federal ICE Ramps Up Use Of Penn State’s Airport To Move Detainees Between Immigration Facilities

-- New Federal Administration

-- WHYY: President Commutes Prison Sentence Of Johnny Doc, Philly Union Boss Convicted Of Bribery, Stealing Nearly $600,000 From His Union

-- TribLive/CQ Roll Call: Higher Social Security Payroll Taxes No Longer Taboo For Republicans

-- New York Times: President Floats Renaming US State Of New Mexico As ‘New America’

-- A.I. /Data Centers

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - September 14  [PaEN]

-- Bloomberg: PA A.I. Data Center Limits Are Threat To Natural Gas Firms, PA Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition Says  [PDF of Article] 

-- PennLive/LehighValleyLive: Gov. Shapiro’s Executive Order On Data Centers Hasn’t Slowed Momentum Of Developers Looking To Build Big In PA Communities   

-- Williamsport Sun - Salena Zito: President’s Natural Gas Data Center Power Plant Coming To Fayette County  [PDF of Article]

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: Energy Bills Driven By A.I. Data Centers Threaten PA Small Businesses, Report Says

-- PennLive: PUC: A.I. Data Center Demand Will Increase Industrial Power Use 18.56%; 10% Jump In Residential Electricity Costs Driven By Natural Gas Cost Increases 

-- International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

-- September 12: PA Average AAA Gasoline Price Jumps 19 Cents Since Monday To $4.49/Gallon - $1.38/Gallon Higher Than On Feb. 27 [Mifflin County Highest Average Price at $4.59] 

-- September 12: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $4.31  Ohio- $4.17  PA- $4.49

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

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs-- 15 -- Same As Last Week [Down 3 From Last Year]

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - September 14  [PaEN] 

-- Bloomberg: PA A.I. Data Center Limits Are Threat To Natural Gas Firms, PA Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition Says  [PDF of Article] 

-- PennLive/LehighValleyLive: Gov. Shapiro’s Executive Order On Data Centers Hasn’t Slowed Momentum Of Developers Looking To Build Big In PA Communities   

-- Williamsport Sun - Salena Zito: President’s Natural Gas Data Center Power Plant Coming To Fayette County  [PDF of Article]

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: Energy Bills Driven By A.I. Data Centers Threaten PA Small Businesses, Report Says

-- PennLive: PUC: A.I. Data Center Demand Will Increase Industrial Power Use 18.56%; 10% Jump In Residential Electricity Costs Driven By Natural Gas Cost Increases 

-- Bloomberg: Oil, Natural Gas, Diesel Prices Signal Winter Crisis And Rising Interest Rates 

-- WNEP/AP: Oil Rises Above $100/Barrel After Latest Wave Of Middle East Attacks

-- Bloomberg: Europe Natural Gas Hits 3-Year High As Traders Race To Fill Winter Storage

-- Reuters: Oil Prices Hit $98.39 In Multi-week Highs After Attacks On Saudi Energy Facilities

-- Reuters: Goldman Sess $120/barrel Oil Price Risk If Attacks On Middle East Vessels Intensity

-- Flooding

-- Insurance Dept., PEMA Highlight Progress On Helping Pennsylvanians Better Prepare For Flooding, Evaluate Your Flood Insurance Options Now  [PaEN] 

-- NextPittsburgh: Extreme Weather Preparedness Is Becoming Increasingly Necessary In Pittsburgh 

-- WHYY - Sophia Schmidt: Philadelphia Sees One Of Its Warmest Summers On Record

-- Train Derailments

-- Altoona Mirror Editorial: Norfolk Southern Train Derailment Issues Far From Resolved

-- Education

-- WESA/WHYY: Gov. Shapiro Signs Legislation Passed By House, Senate Guaranteeing 30 Minutes Of Recess A Day For K-5 Students That Was Part Of Budget Deal

-- The Center Square: Report: Free Speech Climate At PA Colleges Score D-

-- Health Care

-- Spotlight PA: Health Insurance Rates Poised To Rise 10% to 40% Again As PA Regulators Claim Limited Power To Control Increases

-- PennLive/Inquirer: COVID-era Fury Follows Gov. Shapiro’s Response To Measles Outbreak

-- WITF: Preventable Disease Measles Cases Triple In PA Since July, Low Vaccination Rates Fuel Outbreak

-- TribLive Editorial: Did Pennsylvania Learn From The COVID Outbreak?

-- LancasterOnline: PA Republican Lawmakers Say Proposed Dept. Of Health Infectious Disease Outbreak Regulations Pose Privacy Concerns

-- Law Enforcement

-- Spotlight PA: Individuals Illegally Sentenced For 2nd Degree Murder Ask PA Supreme Court To Open Pathway For Resentencing After Lawmakers Fail To Act 

-- PennLive: PA State Police Will Begin Seizing ‘Skill’ Gambling Machines On Oct. 14 Due To Failure Of General Assembly To Pass Legislation

-- WVIA: Luzerne County Residents Challenge 15,000 Signature Petition Calling For Repeal Of County Anti-Discrimination Ordinance

-- WHYY: President Commutes Prison Sentence Of Johnny Doc, Philly Union Boss Convicted Of Bribery, Stealing Nearly $600,000 From His Union

-- PennLive: Clearfield County Commissioners Vote Sept. 22 On Whether To Extend Contract With Federal ICE For Immigrant Detention 

-- WVIA: Immigrant Advocates Say Federal ICE Arrested Dozens At Geisinger Medical Center Construction Site In Danville

-- York Daily Record: ‘It’s Insane:’ Beloved York Soccer Coach Faces Deportation To Haiti After Traffic Stop For Burned Out Brake Light By West York Police With Federal ICE Agreement 

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Another Legal Immigrant Jailed 11 Days For Traffic Violation As A Result Of Mt. Holly Springs Boro Police Agreement With Federal ICE - By Katie Daniels and Mandy Taylor, Mt. Holly Springs Residents in Cumberland County 

-- Scranton Times/PennLive: Mass Federal ICE Raids At Geisinger Health Site Near Danville Leave Workers ‘Terrified,’ Witness Says

-- TribLive: Beechview Residents Describe Heightened Federal ICE Activity: ‘They’re Terrorizing The Whole Neighborhood’ In Pittsburgh  

-- Spotlight PA: Federal ICE Ramps Up Use Of Penn State’s Airport To Move Detainees Between Immigration Facilities

-- The Economy

-- WVIA: Luzerne County Residents Challenge 15,000 Signature Petition Calling For Repeal Of County Anti-Discrimination Ordinance

[Posted: September 14, 2026]