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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- Gov. Shapiro

-- Inquirer: Shapiro Says He Is ‘Quite Concerned’ About President’s Illegal Interference In Midterm Election, But PA Is Prepared

-- TribLive: Gov. Shapiro Creates Federal PAC, Further Fueling Speculation About White House Bid

-- Inquirer: Gov. Shapiro Lured Companies Like Chobani And Burlington With State Incentives, Will It Pay Off For PA?

-- Spotlight PA: Secretary Of Aging Defends Monitoring System After Auditor General Finds It Could Leave Older Adults At Risk

-- Inquirer: $837 Million In Public, Private Funds To Be Invested In Port Of Philadelphia, Gov. Shapiro Says

-- Gov. Shapiro Unveils PA’s First Strategic Plan For Growing Agriculture, Supporting Farmers

-- WVIA: Gov. Shapiro, Health Secretary Bogen Launch Nurse Shortage Assistance Program

-- TribLive: JFK, Jr. Says Shapiro, PA Officials Politicized Measles Outbreak, Blames Infections On COVID Lockdown

-- Race For Governor

-- Erie Times: How Stacy Garrity’s Bradford County Roots Shape Her Campaign For Governor 

-- TribLive: Gov. Shapiro Creates Federal PAC, Further Fueling Speculation About White House Bid

-- PA House/Senate

-- TribLive: After PA Senate, House Fail To Act On ‘Skill’ Gambling Games, Retailers, Clubs, Local Governments Left With Income Loss

-- Post-Gazette: Layoffs, Business Closures Loom As Tens Of Thousands Of ‘Skill’ Gambling Games Become Illegal 

-- Scranton Times: Sen. Katie Muth: NE PA A.I. Data Center Resistance Is ‘Giving Me Courage’

-- PennLive Letter: PA Senate, House Members Took $1.5 Million In Gifts Last Year, It’s Time To Say No More 

-- PennLive: Republican Rep. Bernstine Refuses To Discuss Reported Gay Slurs, Claims Media Is ‘Lying’

-- PennLive: Controversial Republican PA Rep. Bernstine Appears On Radio Show Day Before Host Is Accused Of Sex Trafficking 

-- PA Capital-Star: Republican Rep. Scott Barger Said He Would Find A Reason Not To Hire A Woman In Her Mid-40s Due To Menopause Issues

-- US House/Senate

-- AP: Democrats Hope A Rematch Can Dislodge PA Republican Congressman Scott Perry, A Presidential Loyalist

-- City & State PA: PA US Sen. McCormick’s Red Tape-Cutting Efforts For Energy, A.I. , Other Projects Take Center Stage In Philadelphia With Industry Stakeholders [One-Sided Conversation Without Citizen Stakeholders] 

-- WHYY: PA US Sen. McCormick Offers A Prescription For High Costs: Less Government Red Tape, Eliminating Regulations 

-- PennLive Guest Essay: 10.5 Million Words Of Regulations Stand In The Way Of A.I., Energy Development In Pennsylvania - By PA US Sen. Dave McCormick [McCormick’s Wife Is President And Vice Chairman Of Meta/Facebook]

-- Statewide Offices

-- Attorney General Sunday Files Lawsuit Against Pharmaceutical Companies, PFMS In Scheme To Make Patients Pay More For Insulin

-- 2026 Elections

-- WITF: Dauphin County Rejects 10 False Mail-In Ballot Applications, Investigation Continues Into Group Organizing To Increase Voter Turnout

-- LancasterOnline: US Postal Service Failed To Deliver Filled Out, Preaddressed Mail-In Ballots To Lancaster County Election Office 

-- Tribune-Democrat: PA Democrats Reverse Trend On Voter Registration, Widen Gap Over Republicans 

-- PennLive: Federal Postal Inspectors Stop Suspicious Letter Headed To PA State Elections Office And Others Across The Country; Past Incidents Have Found Letters Contained Fentanyl

-- Elections

-- Inquirer: Shapiro Says He Is ‘Quite Concerned’ About President’s Illegal Interference In Midterm Election, But PA Is Prepared

-- Inquirer: Why Shapiro, Top PA Democrats Think They Can Win PA Senate

-- TribLive: PA Republican Candidates Balance Supporting President, Breaking With Him On Unpopular Issues

-- Morning Call: What Do Lehigh Valley’s Legislative Candidates Think About A.I. Data Centers? We Asked Them  

-- Tribune-Democrat: ‘Vote Early’ Theme Of No Kings Rally In Johnstown

-- The Citizens’ Voice: Partisan Battle Over Election Integrity Continues

-- AP: Republicans Face Midterm Election Backlash From Factory Workers Squeezed Out Of Jobs By President’s Tariffs [PA Included]

-- AP: A Lehigh Valley Spanish-Language Radio Show Overflows With Voters’ Frustration In PA Battleground 

-- New York Times: How Pennsylvania Explains The Forces Shaping The Midterm Elections

-- AP: President Wants The Midterm Elections To Be All About Him, Judging By The Ads, Democrats Are Happy To Oblige [PA Included]

-- Inquirer: Elon Musk And National Republicans Spending Millions To Defend PA Congressional Candidates 

-- President’s War On Iran

-- October 18: PA Average AAA Gasoline Price Same As Yesterday $4.47/Gallon - $1.36/Gallon Higher Than On Feb. 27 [Crawford County $4.77, Warren County $4.76 Highest Average Price] 

-- October 18: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $4.29  Ohio- $4.06  PA- $4.47

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

-- WHYY: Philadelphia-Area Heating Costs Could Rise 9% This Winter, But Not For Everyone

-- PennLive: The Official NOAA Winter Forecast Is Here: PA Warmer, Wetter Than Average

-- Altoona Mirror: Running On Empty: Farmers Eye High Diesel Fuel Costs As Fall Harvest Underway

-- WVIA: Diesel Costs Almost $3/Gallon More Than 1 Year Ago; School Districts Struggle With High Prices, Fear For Future Of Small Companies 

-- Energy Marketers Of America: IRS Announces Temporary Penalty Relief For Highway Use Of Dyed Diesel Fuel, But Users Are Not Eligible For Any Payment Deferral 

-- PA Petroleum Product Distributors Assn: No Action Yet On President’s Federal Dyed Diesel Tax Deferral; No Action On State Dyed Diesel; Therefore There Are No Changes On Handling Dyed Diesel 

-- AP: Oil Climbs To $105 A Barrel As US President’s Plan To Buy Diesel From Russia Drew Criticism From Some Lawmakers 

-- Financial Times: European Natural Gas Hits Iran Wartime High As Cold Weather Boosts Prices 

-- AP: US Inflation Worsened In September To 3.7% In Sign That Prices Remain Elevated As Midterm Elections Near  [Inflation In Sept. 2024 was 2.4%]

-- Financial Times: US Inflation Jumps 3.7% As Iran War Drives Up Prices 

-- Protesting The President

-- Tribune-Democrat: ‘Vote Early’ Theme Of No Kings Rally In Johnstown

-- PA Impacts Of President’s Tariffs/Trade

-- AP: Republicans Face Midterm Election Backlash From Factory Workers Squeezed Out Of Jobs By President’s Tariffs [PA Included]

-- WHYY: Young People In Pennsylvania Face Uncertain Future As Federal Farm Bill Expires

-- Federal Funding Loss

-- AP: President ‘Jokes’ About Withholding Federal Disaster Relief Funding If States Don’t Vote Republican; Critics Say It Has No Place There

-- PA Impacts Of President’s Policies

-- TribLive Editorial: When The Cost Of Healthcare Is A Real Crime

-- The Economist: A.I. Data Centers Are Turning US President’s Voters Into Democrats; Backlash Could Swing Close Races In Midterm Elections 

-- City & State PA: New Report Documents Critical Economic Contributions Of Philadelphia Region’s Immigrants

-- Inquirer - Bill Bunch: How York County Became The Most Dangerous Place For Immigrants In The Eastern US 

-- PennLive: Carroll Twp. Police Officer Forces Woman Filming Federal ICE-Related Traffic Stop In Dillsburg To Leave Scene In York County Raising First Amendment Rights

-- TribLive: As Pensions Fade Away, Many Workers Aren’t Saving Enough For Retirement

-- The Daily Pennsylvanian: University Of Pennsylvania Experts Say President’s EPA Rollback Will Drive Nation Off ‘Climate Cliff’

-- Miscellaneous State/Harrisburg Politics

-- PennLive Letter: PA Senate, House Members Took $1.5 Million In Gifts Last Year, It’s Time To Say No More 

-- Tribune-Democrat: PA Democrats Reverse Trend On Voter Registration, Widen Gap Over Republicans 

-- A.I./Data Center Politics

-- Fortune: How Rural PA’s $165 Million Data Center Fight Became Representative Of The Bipartisan Battle Against A.I. In Luzerne County 

-- Morning Call: What Do Lehigh Valley’s Legislative Candidates Think About A.I. Data Centers? We Asked Them  

-- Scranton Times: Sen. Katie Muth: NE PA A.I. Data Center Resistance Is ‘Giving Me Courage’

-- New York Times: How Pennsylvania Explains The Forces Shaping The Midterm Elections

-- The Economist: A.I. Data Centers Are Turning US President’s Voters Into Democrats; Backlash Could Swing Close Races In Midterm Elections 

-- City & State PA: PA US Sen. McCormick’s Red Tape-Cutting Efforts For Energy, A.I. , Other Projects Take Center Stage In Philadelphia With Industry Stakeholders [One-Sided Conversation Without Citizen Stakeholders] 

-- WHYY: PA US Sen. McCormick Offers A Prescription For High Costs: Less Government Red Tape, Eliminating Regulations 

-- PennLive Guest Essay: 10.5 Million Words Of Regulations Stand In The Way Of A.I., Energy Development In Pennsylvania - By PA US Sen. Dave McCormick [McCormick’s Wife Is President And Vice Chairman Of Meta/Facebook]

-- A.I. /Data Centers

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - October 19  [PaEN] 

-- PJM Issues Electric Power Capacity Advisory For Oct. 19 As A Result Of About 72,000 MW Of Planned Generation Outages; About 60% Of Generating Capacity Is Available To Meet Demand  [PaEN]  

-- PJM Reports Operating With Only 66% Of Its Generation Capacity Available During Recent Maximum Generation Alerts; About One-Third Of The Power Plant Outages Were Unexpected  [PaEN]  

-- Axios-Pittsburgh: Report: Pennsylvania Natural Gas Power Generation To Grow 15% By 2030 Due To A.I. Data Center Demand

-- Altoona Mirror - Robert Swift: PUC/Team PA Report Identifies 21 Possible Sites For A.I. Data Center Power Plants 

-- PA Capital-Star: PUC/Team PA Study Identifies 21 Potential Sites For A.I. Data Center Power Plants

-- Williamsport Sun: PUC Study Searches For Power Plant Sites To Be Reactivated For Data Centers, Looks At Lock Haven

-- PUC Invites Comments On Regulations To Give Electric Utilities New Tools To Manage Data Centers During Emergency Periods Of Strained Electricity Supplies And Curtailments To Maintain Grid Reliability  [PaEN] 

-- Gov. Shapiro Files Petition To Intervene In PPL Electric Rate Case To Protect Customers From Costs And Reliability Risks From A.I. Data Centers  [PaEN] 

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: What Best Serves Electric Consumers?  FirstEnergy Asks PUC To Return Customers Automatically To Its Default Service When Their Competitive Electric Supply Contracts Expire 

-- Utility Dive: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Rejects Most Of PJM’s ‘Bring Your Own Power’ Data Center Load Plan Saying It Intrudes On State Jurisdiction, May Be Discriminatory  [FERC Rejected PJM’s Backstop Energy Plan Earlier] 

-- The Allegheny Front: FERC Denies Plan That Would Shield Energy Customers From A.I. Data Center Demand To Avoid Blackouts

-- Utility Dive: FERC Proposes Further Easing Regulatory Approvals For Natural Gas Pipeline, LNG Export Projects

-- International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

-- October 18: PA Average AAA Gasoline Price Same As Yesterday $4.47/Gallon - $1.36/Gallon Higher Than On Feb. 27 [Crawford County $4.77, Warren County $4.76 Highest Average Price] 

-- October 18: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $4.29  Ohio- $4.06  PA- $4.47

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

-- WHYY: Philadelphia-Area Heating Costs Could Rise 9% This Winter, But Not For Everyone

-- PennLive: The Official NOAA Winter Forecast Is Here: PA Warmer, Wetter Than Average

-- Altoona Mirror: Running On Empty: Farmers Eye High Diesel Fuel Costs As Fall Harvest Underway

-- WVIA: Diesel Costs Almost $3/Gallon More Than 1 Year Ago; School Districts Struggle With High Prices, Fear For Future Of Small Companies 

-- Williamsport Sun: Rising Fuel Prices Undercut Promising Year For Crops In Lycoming County 

-- Independent Fiscal Office Reports Gasoline Prices Increased 34%, Diesel Prices 46% April thru July In Pennsylvania

-- Energy Marketers Of America: IRS Announces Temporary Penalty Relief For Highway Use Of Dyed Diesel Fuel, But Users Are Not Eligible For Any Payment Deferral 

-- PA Petroleum Product Distributors Assn: No Action Yet On President’s Federal Dyed Diesel Tax Deferral; No Action On State Dyed Diesel; Therefore There Are No Changes On Handling Dyed Diesel 

-- AP: Oil Climbs To $105 A Barrel As US President’s Plan To Buy Diesel From Russia Drew Criticism From Some Lawmakers 

-- PJM Issues Electric Power Capacity Advisory For Oct. 19 As A Result Of About 72,000 MW Of Planned Generation Outages; About 60% Of Generating Capacity Is Available To Meet Demand  [PaEN]  

-- PJM Reports Operating With Only 66% Of Its Generation Capacity Available During Recent Maximum Generation Alerts; About One-Third Of The Power Plant Outages Were Unexpected  [PaEN]  

-- Axios-Pittsburgh: Report: Pennsylvania Natural Gas Power Generation To Grow 15% By 2030 Due To A.I. Data Center Demand

-- Altoona Mirror - Robert Swift: PUC/Team PA Report Identifies 21 Possible Sites For A.I. Data Center Power Plants 

-- PA Capital-Star: PUC/Team PA Study Identifies 21 Potential Sites For A.I. Data Center Power Plants

-- Williamsport Sun: PUC Study Searches For Power Plant Sites To Be Reactivated For Data Centers, Looks At Lock Haven

-- Financial Times: European Natural Gas Hits Iran Wartime High As Cold Weather Boosts Prices 

-- Utility Dive: FERC Proposes Further Easing Regulatory Approvals For Natural Gas Pipeline, LNG Export Projects

-- Flooding

-- WHYY: As Flooding Worsens In Philly Suburbs, Water Rescues Are On The Rise; Firefighters Are Having To Adapt And Fast

-- WHYY: In Philadelphia’s Eastwick Neighborhood, Plans For A Temporary Solution To Flooding Hit A Snag

-- WHYY: Schuylkill Environmental Education Center, Partners Complete $1 Million Project To Curb Flooding, Erosion

-- Observer-Reporter: Canonsburg And Chartiers Township Hope To Secure Funding For Crucial Flood Resiliency Project

-- Penn State: Oct. 19 EarthTalks Features Lara Fowler On Building Community-Led Solutions To Flooding Challenges  [PaEN] 

-- Chesapeake Bay Foundation: Pennsylvania Should Stand Up For Stormwater Management Systems - By Harry Campbell 

-- WHYY: Schuylkill Environmental Education Center, Partners Complete $1 Million Project To Curb Flooding, Erosion

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Harrisburg Capital Region Water Authority Sues To Force PA State Government To Pay Unpaid Stormwater Management Fees 

-- WITF: Capitol Region Water Sues State To Force Payment Of $2.4 Million Of Stormwater Management Fees Owed So Far

-- AP: President ‘Jokes’ About Withholding Federal Disaster Relief Funding If States Don’t Vote Republican; Critics Say It Has No Place There

-- Storms/Power Outages

-- AP: President ‘Jokes’ About Withholding Federal Disaster Relief Funding If States Don’t Vote Republican; Critics Say It Has No Place There

-- Health Care

-- TribLive Editorial: When The Cost Of Healthcare Is A Real Crime

-- Attorney General Sunday Files Lawsuit Against Pharmaceutical Companies, PFMS In Scheme To Make Patients Pay More For Insulin

-- Spotlight PA: Secretary Of Aging Defends Monitoring System After Auditor General Finds It Could Leave Older Adults At Risk

-- WVIA: Gov. Shapiro, Health Secretary Bogen Launch Nurse Shortage Assistance Program

-- TribLive: JFK, Jr. Says Shapiro, PA Officials Politicized Measles Outbreak, Blames Infections On COVID Lockdown

-- Law Enforcement

-- WITF: Dauphin County Rejects 10 False Mail-In Ballot Applications, Investigation Continues Into Group Organizing To Increase Voter Turnout

-- TribLive: After PA Senate, House Fail To Act On ‘Skill’ Gambling Games, Retailers, Clubs, Local Governments Left With Income Loss

-- Post-Gazette: Layoffs, Business Closures Loom As Tens Of Thousands Of ‘Skill’ Gambling Games Become Illegal 

-- City & State PA: New Report Documents Critical Economic Contributions Of Philadelphia Region’s Immigrants

-- Inquirer - Bill Bunch: How York County Became The Most Dangerous Place For Immigrants In The Eastern US 

-- PennLive: Carroll Twp. Police Officer Forces Woman Filming Federal ICE-Related Traffic Stop In Dillsburg To Leave Scene In York County Raising First Amendment Rights

-- The Economy

-- TribLive: As Pensions Fade Away, Many Workers Aren’t Saving Enough For Retirement

-- Gov. Shapiro Unveils PA’s First Strategic Plan For Growing Agriculture, Supporting Farmers

-- Inquirer: $837 Million In Public, Private Funds To Be Invested In Port Of Philadelphia, Gov. Shapiro Says

-- Inquirer: Gov. Shapiro Lured Companies Like Chobani And Burlington With State Incentives, Will It Pay Off For PA?

-- City & State PA: New Report Documents Critical Economic Contributions Of Philadelphia Region’s Immigrants

-- WHYY: Young People In Pennsylvania Face Uncertain Future As Federal Farm Bill Expires

-- AP: US Inflation Worsened In September To 3.7% In Sign That Prices Remain Elevated As Midterm Elections Near  [Inflation In Sept. 2024 was 2.4%]

-- Financial Times: US Inflation Jumps 3.7% As Iran War Drives Up Prices 

[Posted: October 18, 2026]