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

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- Gov. Shapiro

-- WESA: Gov. Shapiro Says PA ‘Prepared’ To Protect Voters From President’s Legal Challenges

-- Axios.com:  Shapiro Looks Like A 2028 Powerhouse - With An Asterisk

-- Race For Governor

-- Spotlight PA: Garrity’s Fundraising Skyrockets In Final Weeks Of PA Governor’s Race Thanks To Skill Games

-- Warren Times Editorial: We Can Do Worse Than Shapiro For Governor 

-- Budget 2027

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: Time For A Hard Look At How Gambling Money Is Shared

-- PA House/Senate

-- Spotlight PA: PA Democratic Caucus Committees Outspent Republican Counterparts 2 to 1 With Control Of Legislature At Stake

-- LancasterOnline: $5.2 Million Fight For State Senate Seat Most Expensive PA Legislative Race Ever In Lancaster County

-- WTAE: Sen. Bartolotta, Challenger Borello Talk Future Of Oil & Gas Industry In State Senate Race

-- Post-Gazette: Democratic-Leaning Dark Money Groups Flooding Western PA State Senate Race In Republican Incumbent District [ Sen. Bartolotta v. Jodi Borello] 

-- Spotlight PA: Who Hates A.I. Data Centers More? Incumbent Republican Sen. Pennycuick Or Democratic Challenger Chris Thomas?

-- US House/Senate

-- WHYY: 4 Contested PA Congressional Races Shift In Democrats’ Favor Ahead Of Midterm Battle For Control Of US House

-- Spotlight PA: Voters In Congressional Swing Districts In PA Grapple With Economy, Iran War Ahead Of Midterms  

-- PennLive: Republican US House Speaker Warns Of ‘Socialist Lunacy’ At Harrisburg Rally For Republican Con. Scott Perry  [Republicans ‘Just Getting Started’]  

-- WITF: Republican US House Speaker, Republican Con. Scott Perry Say The Devil, Communists And Barbarians Trying To Take Over America [Republicans ‘Just Getting Started’]

-- WITF: Harrisburg-Area TV Stations Pull Some Ads By Republican Con. Scott Perry Claiming Public Nudity

-- PennLive Editorial: Unsubstantiated Attack Ad By Republican Con. Scott Perry Against Janelle Stelson Is Exactly What’s Wrong With Politics In America

-- 2026 Elections

-- WITF: Criminal Charges Filed After Dauphin County Found Falsified Requests For Mail-In Ballots 

-- Observer-Reporter: Fayette County Elections Officials Report 300 Voters Who Requested Mail-In Ballots Were Never Mailed

-- WESA: Gov. Shapiro Says PA ‘Prepared’ To Protect Voters From President’s Legal Challenges

-- PA Capital-Star: President Loses Appeals Over California Ballots, Homeland Security Operations In PA And Else As Administration Tries To Assert Authority Over Elections

-- PA Capital-Star: As Healthcare Costs Spike For PA Employers, Employees, PA House Democrats Pitch Universal Coverage

-- Scranton Times: Healthcare Affordability Concerns Galvanize Voters 

-- Spotlight PA: Voters In Congressional Swing Districts In PA Grapple With Economy, Iran War Ahead Of Midterms  

-- AP: Inflation Heats Up Again, According To Govt. Measure, Days Before Midterm Elections Where Cost Of Living Dominates

-- AP: President Failed To Stop Inflation, Now Republicans May Pay the Price In The Midterm Elections  [PA Included] 

-- AP: Early Voters From Bucks County Share Their Views Ahead Of Midterm Elections

-- Post-Gazette: PA Latino Voters Who Helped Elect President Moving Away From Republicans, But Not Warming To Democrats

-- Elections

-- LancasterOnline: Former Gov. Corbett, Experts Address Extreme Scenarios For PA’s Election Day [Threats To Democracy From President’s Administration] 

-- PA Capital-Star: President Loses Appeals Over California Ballots, Homeland Security Operations In PA And Else As Administration Tries To Assert Authority Over Elections

- Post-Gazette: President’s Dept. Of Justice Sending Election Monitors To Allegheny, Lehigh, Luzerne, Philadelphia Counties

-- TribLive Editorial: Who Is Paying For Pennsylvania Campaigns?

-- TribLive: Federal Judge In Pittsburgh Holds Top Federal Officials In Contempt Of Court In Immigration Case

-- President’s War On Iran

-- November 1: PA Average AAA Gasoline Price Down 1 Penny Since Last Sunday $4.43/Gallon - $1.32/Gallon Higher Than On Feb. 27 [Lawrence, Warren Counties $4.68 Highest Average Price]

-- November 1: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $4.17  Ohio- $4.14  PA- $4.43

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

-- Reading Eagle: Some School Districts Locked In Lower Diesel Prices, But Some Are Facing Skyrocketing Costs

-- Post-Gazette: High Gasoline Prices Making 2026 The Year Of The Hybrid Vehicles

-- PennLive: Home Heating Oil Prices Have Doubled Since 2025, As Customers Brace For Winter And High Costs

-- Spotlight PA: Voters In Congressional Swing Districts In PA Grapple With Economy, Iran War Ahead Of Midterms  

-- Bloomberg: Big Oil Scores $56 Billion Windfall On War-Driven Refining Spike

-- Protesting The President

-- AP: 6 Citizens Due President Saying Media Ban Deprives Them Of News As Audience Stakeholders [PA Resident Included] 

-- PA Impacts Of President’s Tariffs/Trade

-- WVIA: President’s Tariffs, Other Factors Push Up Halloween Candy Prices In NE PA, Nationwide

-- PA Impacts Of President’s Policies

-- PennLive: 9 Noncitizen PA Residents Charged By Feds With Illegally Voting  [8.5 Million Registered Voters In PA]

-- WITF: PA Analysis Shows Flaws In Using Jury Rejection Lists To Find Noncitizen Voters

-- Spotlight PA: Republican Search For Noncitizen Voters In Chester County Fundamentally Flawed, Analysis Shows

-- PA Capital-Star: As Healthcare Costs Spike For PA Employers, Employees, PA House Democrats Pitch Universal Coverage

-- Morning Call: Affordability Is Voters’ No. 1 Concern Ahead Of Midterm Elections; What Does That Mean For The Lehigh Valley Races? 

-- AP: Inflation Heats Up Again, According To Govt. Measure, Days Before Midterm Elections Where Cost Of Living Dominates

-- AP: President Failed To Stop Inflation, Now Republicans May Pay the Price In The Midterm Elections  [PA Included] 

-- AP: UN Report: US Is Big Reason For World Losing Ground In The Fight Against Climate Change

-- Miscellaneous State/Harrisburg Politics

-- TribLive Editorial: Should The State Liquor Control Board Dictate How Liquor Should Be Packaged?

-- The Center Square: PA’s ‘Advanced Age’ Population Balloons As Number Of Kids Shrinks

-- TribLive: With Enrollment Cliff Looming, Pittsburgh-Area Colleges Are Adapting

-- TribLive: Pittsburgh’s Region’s Elderly Population Is Projected To Spike

-- A.I./Data Center Politics

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Many PA Communities Are Wary Of A.I. Data Centers Representing Billionaires And Trillionaires That Are Going To Take More Money From People

-- Climate Power: Energy Affordability Driving Pennsylvanians To The Polls This Election

-- Spring-Ford Press: Sen. Katie Muth Sees Deeper Problems Behind PA’s Data Center Boom 

-- WESA: A.I. Data Centers Scrambled PA’s Political Map, But What Happens After Nov. 3?

-- Spotlight PA: Who Hates A.I. Data Centers More? Incumbent Republican Sen. Pennycuick Or Democratic Challenger Chris Thomas?

-- A.I. /Data Centers

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - November 2 [PaEN] 

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Many PA Communities Are Wary Of A.I. Data Centers Representing Billionaires And Trillionaires That Are Going To Take More Money From People

-- Consumer Alert!  If You Shopped For Your Electric, Natural Gas Supplier In 2024, You Paid $350 Million Too Much For Energy  [PaEN] 

-- PJM Interconnection Files Revised Reliability Backstop Generation Procurement Proposal With FERC; Looks To Hold Next Auction March 2027 With Price Cap Of $555/MW-Day  [PaEN] 

-- FracTracker Alliance: A.I. Data Center Developers Propose 12.5 GW Of Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants To Feed 12 Data Center Projects In Southwest PA  [PaEN]    

-- PennLive/LehighvalleyLive: Pennsylvania Now Has 80 Sites Targeted For A.I. Data Centers Statewide; We’ve Mapped, Tracked Each One

-- WVIA Podcast: How And Why Electric, Natural Gas, Water Rates Are Increasing

-- PennLive: Home Heating Oil Prices Have Doubled Since 2025, As Customers Brace For Winter And High Costs 

-- WHYY: President’s Heating Oil Reserve Release Unlikely To Ease Sky-High Prices In Pennsylvania, Experts Say; Heating Oil Price Nearly Doubled Since Last Fall

-- PA Dept. Of Human Services: Apply For Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) Starting Nov. 2

-- Scranton Times: Olyphant Borough Officials Meet Nov. 5 On A.I. Data Center Developer’s $101 Million Proposal To Bypass Conditional Use Process, Forgo Public Hearings To Build The Project In Lackawanna County [PDF of Article]

-- WVIA: Lackawanna County Judge Denies A.I. Data Center Developer Claim Project Was ‘Deemed Approved’ In Jessup Borough 

-- Scranton Times: Wildcat Ridge A.I. Data Center Developer Law Firm Reed Smith Targets Lackawanna County Commissioner, 2 Valley View School District Directors In Their Individual Capacities With ‘Preserve All Documents’ Notice Ahead Of Potential Litigation

-- WESA: Why Is Generator, Backup Power Supply Demand Booming Across Pittsburgh?

-- Utility Dive: North American Electric Reliability Corp Takes First Step In Setting Reliability Standards For A.I. Data Centers, Cryptocurrency Miners, Other Computational Loads

-- Scranton Times Guest Essay: PPL Electric Building On Protections In Place So Growth Doesn’t Come At Utility Customers’ Expense - By Christine Martin, President Of PPL Utilities

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Why EQT Wants To Acquire Range Resources: Capture Growing Demand For Data Centers, Exports, Cut Operating Expenses $325 Million

-- Fortune: EQT Becomes Nation’s Leading Natural Gas ‘Juggernaut’ With A $13 Billion Deal As A.I. Data Center, Export Demand Surges

-- International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs- 15-- Same Last 8 Weeks

-- Consumer Alert!  If You Shopped For Your Electric, Natural Gas Supplier In 2024, You Paid $350 Million Too Much For Energy  [PaEN] 

-- WVIA Podcast: How And Why Electric, Natural Gas, Water Rates Are Increasing

-- WESA: Why Is Generator, Backup Power Supply Demand Booming Across Pittsburgh?

-- PennLive: Home Heating Oil Prices Have Doubled Since 2025, As Customers Brace For Winter And High Costs

-- The Citizens’ Voice: NE PA Residents Feeling The Shock Of Record Heating Oil Costs 

-- Reading Eagle: Some School Districts Locked In Lower Diesel Prices, But Some Are Facing Skyrocketing Costs

-- WHYY: President’s Heating Oil Reserve Release Unlikely To Ease Sky-High Prices In Pennsylvania, Experts Say; Heating Oil Price Nearly Doubled Since Last Fall

-- PA Petroleum Distributors Assn: No Change In Handling Of Dyed Diesel Fuel In PA 

-- Post-Gazette: High Gasoline Prices Making 2026 The Year Of The Hybrid Vehicles

-- AP: In His Own Words: President On Gasoline Prices And Energy Costs Since Launching The War With Iran: ‘We’re Making A Freaking Fortune’

-- Bloomberg: Big Oil Scores $56 Billion Windfall On War-Driven Refining Spike

-- Financial Times: Major Oil Companies Resist Pressure To Invest In New Refineries As Fuel Prices Keep Rising 

-- Bloomberg: US Natural Gas Price Falls To 6-Month Low On Warm Weather Forecast 

-- Bloomberg: President To Ease Oil, Gas Well Methane Curbs In Bid To Lower Costs 

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Just Hit Highest Price Since 2022 On Winter Risks

-- Reuters Commentary: Natural Gas Is Losing Grip Across Key Power Markets In Europe, Asia

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Why EQT Wants To Acquire Range Resources: Capture Growing Demand For Data Centers, Exports, Cut Operating Expenses $325 Million

-- Fortune: EQT Becomes Nation’s Leading Natural Gas ‘Juggernaut’ With A $13 Billion Deal As A.I. Data Center, Export Demand Surges

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: EQT Expands Natural Gas Export Strategy With Storage Contract On Gulf Coast

-- Reuters: US Pipeline Safety Agency Proposes New Rules To Speed Up LNG Natural Gas Projects

-- Flooding

-- PEMA: Federal SBA Low-Interest Loans Available For Individuals Impacted By September Flooding In Washington And Surrounding Counties

-- WHYY: Gov. Shapiro Signs Law Requiring Home Sellers, Landlords To Disclose More About A Home’s Flood Risk

-- PEMA Provides $3 Million Grant To Expand Penn State Keystone Weather Threat Alert System

-- Morning Call: Environmental Group Has Plan To Protect Waterways Thru Riparian Stream Buffers 

-- Train Derailments

-- Altoona Mirror: PA Cong. Joyce Wants Answers To String Of Train Derailments Involving 100+ Railcars In And Around Horseshoe Curve Near Altoona

-- Altoona Mirror: Norfolk Southern Responds To Concerns About Multiple Train Derailments In Altoona Area

-- TribLive/AP: EPA Response To 2023 Norfolk Southern Ohio Train Derailment Will Be Investigated By Agency Watchdog 

-- Education

-- TribLive: With Enrollment Cliff Looming, Pittsburgh-Area Colleges Are Adapting

-- The Center Square: PA’s ‘Advanced Age’ Population Balloons As Number Of Kids Shrinks

-- TribLive: Pittsburgh’s Region’s Elderly Population Is Projected To Spike

-- Health Care

-- Scranton Times: Healthcare Affordability Concerns Galvanize Voters 

-- PA Capital-Star: As Healthcare Costs Spike For PA Employers, Employees, PA House Democrats Pitch Universal Coverage

-- Law Enforcement

-- PennLive: 9 Noncitizen PA Residents Charged By Feds With Illegally Voting  [8.5 Million Registered Voters In PA]

-- WITF: PA Analysis Shows Flaws In Using Jury Rejection Lists To Find Noncitizen Voters

-- Spotlight PA: Republican Search For Noncitizen Voters In Chester County Fundamentally Flawed, Analysis Shows

-- TribLive: Federal Judge In Pittsburgh Holds Top Federal Officials In Contempt Of Court In Immigration Case

-- The Economy

-- WVIA: President’s Tariffs, Other Factors Push Up Halloween Candy Prices In NE PA, Nationwide

-- Morning Call: Affordability Is Voters’ No. 1 Concern Ahead Of Midterm Elections; What Does That Mean For The Lehigh Valley Races? 

-- AP: Inflation Heats Up Again, According To Govt. Measure, Days Before Midterm Elections Where Cost Of Living Dominates

-- AP: President Failed To Stop Inflation, Now Republicans May Pay the Price In The Midterm Elections  [PA Included] 

-- The Center Square: PA’s ‘Advanced Age’ Population Balloons As Number Of Kids Shrinks

-- TribLive: Pittsburgh’s Region’s Elderly Population Is Projected To Spike

[Posted: November 1, 2025]